Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that his country would finish its campaign against the Hamas terrorist group with or without support from the Biden administration. The statement came as Israel has occupied more than half of the Gaza Strip since the war began last October.
Netanyahu told the British press that “A nation has to do what it has to do to survive.”
“If they cannot stand the heat of public opinion, then we’ll just have to do it alone. We will do what we need to do,” he said.
Netanyahu also said that the current tumult in the Middle East was happening while the Islamic Republic of Iran did not have nuclear weapons. Iran is currently backing Hamas, as well as forces in the Middle East that killed three American servicemembers on Sunday.
The comments also came amid higher pressure from the U.S. and other nations for Israel to tone down its military campaign.
The prime minister’s comments came after the United States signaled its support for a new ceasefire in the conflict.
Israel had offered a ceasefire to Hamas recently in exchange for all hostages held by the terrorist organization. However, Hamas denied the effort.
The United States is currently working with Egypt and Qatar on a possible ceasefire plan. Despite this, there is no direct evidence that such an agreement will occur in the near future.
In addition, the Biden administration is reportedly considering slowing down weapons transfers to Israel as the war continues.
On the same day that Joe Biden’s appeasement of Iran has resulted, as it inevitably would, in the deaths of American troops, Biden also is threatening to cut military aid to Israel. Joe Biden’s weakness is pathetic and dangerous. https://t.co/ECybkZFJYc
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 28, 2024
Israel has seen significant successes and difficulties during its ongoing campaign. Last week, a building collapse caused the death of more than 20 Israeli soldiers, marking the deadliest single incident since the war began.
Jerusalem is also reportedly considering an operation in southern Lebanon to counter the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Israel previously occupied much of its northern neighbor during and after the Lebanese Civil War.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a significant conflict in 2006. Since the conflict, Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon has grown significantly.
